Diet: Shama Thrush

Shama thrush are insectivores- consuming a diet primarily composed of insects.

• Basic Diet:

  • Supplemental Options

    • Dried crickets or mealworms

    • Egg Mix (Vitakraft or Quicko)

    • Mazuri Insectivore Diet

    • Crushed eggshell for calcium

    • Unflavored Pedialyte

  • Protein Options:

    • Live crushed mealworms, crickets or grasshoppers

    • Dried crushed mealworms, crickets or grasshoppers

    • Force-feeding in crisis: Mashed hard-boiled or scrambled egg (chicken or duck) mixed with Unflavored Pedialyte

• How to feed:

  • Hydrate the 30% egg mix with 70% Mazuri diet OR Hydrate live crushed insects to create a thick yet moist paste.

  • Give the mix on the end of a coffee stirrer or soft side of a toothpick or skewer. The baby should eat as much as it can off of it.

  • Do not shove food down the babies throat, wait for it to swallow the food before offering more.

• How often to feed:

  • Hatchlings and Nestlings: every 20-40 minutes

  • Fledglings 30-60 minutes

  • Adults: Eat every hour

• Helpful Tips:

  • Cut the heads off of the mealworms and crickets before feeding it to the young as mealworms can latch on to their throat. You will not need to do this for adults.

  • Shama’s are fairly aggressive and may bite. They tend to be on ‘the wild side’ of bird rehabbing.